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“Woah, Summer! Your hand has grown four more fingers.” She tilts her head, and I hold my hand up to look at it.

“Fuck. We need to do a sobering rune,” I mumble, feeling around my thighs for my rune knife. I pull it free and promptly drop it on the ground. Alice manages to get herself out of the bush and struggles to her feet, wobbling precariously.

I pick up my knife and look at its sharp edge. “Wait. Don’t move. Okay?”

Alice nods, already distracted by her phone.

I stumble around the building, walking into the darkness. “Stranger?” I whisper-shout into the night.

I start to fall, but strong arms wrap around me. Suddenly, I’m pressed into a wall of hard muscle, and I happily lean against his faint form.

“You rang?” I can hear the irritation in his voice.

“Hello, my stranger! You’re so difficult to perceive.” I burst out laughing at my joke.

“You’re drunk.”

I step out of his arms and hold up my rune knife. I close one eye, aiming the tip toward my thumb. The world tips again, and I lose my balance. The stranger catches me again before I can fall, steadying me against him. My thumb burns, and I hold it up, blood dripping down my hand. Quite carelessly and accidentally, I managed to slice deep into the pad. I show it to him and say, “Help me draw a sobering rune?”

He sighs and shifts me in his arms. His large hand wraps around mine, and he presses my thumb against my thigh. I feel the warm, sticky blood even more, thanks to the bitter cold of the night. He expertly moves my hand, leaving the perfect rune in its wake. The rune glows faintly on my thigh, and I immediately feel the benefits. My head feels a little clearer, and the world stops spinning. As the alcohol wears off, the cold starts to invade.

“Celebrating a little hard, aren’t we?”

I pout up at him. “You don’t like my dress.” It is all I can think to say, so clearly, I’m still fairly deep under the influence. I take a deep breath and force myself to leave his arms. “Thanks, see you later.” I turn and walk away, feeling a little more steady.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” he says, stopping my retreat.

“But you don’t like it. I can tell,” I say, refusing to look back at him. I need to just shut up about it. Why does it matter? Itdoesn’tmatter.

“I don’t like that anyone else gets to see you in it,” he says, his voice tight.

“Is that something you say to a friend?” I ask, turning to face him.

“No, which is why I didn’t say it until you decided to be a brat,” he growls.

“I’m not sure how much the girl you are waiting for would appreciate you saying that to me,” I fire back, jealousy sparking. I know I am being unreasonable and even unfair. My only excuse is the alcohol, and I cling to it.

I feel his eyes on me, his stare intense and piercing. “You tell me, little fae.” His eyes slowly move down my body, his gaze filled with anger and heat. “Go back to your boy angel. He’s looking for you.”

I watch him for another moment, my stomach twisting. Fuck, why did I push it? I shouldn’t have pushed it. I shouldn’t have even called for him. Note to self: don’t be inebriated when talking to Stranger. Just don’t. I take a step back before turning and walking away from him.

Alice is not where I left her, so I head back inside. The second I step back into the house, I meet Connor’s gaze. I walk to him, and he offers me a drink. I accept it but decide to nurse the fuck out of it.

Connor leans down and says against my ear. “Alice is in a bush. She’s refusing to get out.”

I chuckle. “I’ll deal with it.”

Connor brushes his lips along my cheek. “Or you could dance with me.”

I smile up into his handsome face. He is everything I could ever need and more. What is wrong with me that I feel like I need someone else in my life who understands my darkness? Why do I have darkness? I want to be light, and I want to be light with Connor. I want to bask in the peace he brings to my life.

“Let me go sober Alice up, and then we’ll dance.”

Connor nods and bends down to press his lips to mine. Outside, I wonder how I could have missed Alice on my way in. She is sprawled out on what looks like an evergreen shrub. I sigh and slice my finger again before grabbing her ankle and drawing the same rune on her that the stranger just drew on me.

“Spoilsport,” Alice grumbles, struggling to sit up.

I hold my hand to help her, and she takes it, allowing me to pull her to her feet. “Now you can drink more and be furious with me that no one seems to like my outfit,” I grumble.